The UPS jet that was supposed to fly crewmembers was taken out of service over a fuel leak just before a replacement plane's engine flew off and killed 15 people, according to a history of flight report. 

On November 4, 2025, three crew members were set to get on board UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. 

But, during the captain's walk-through, which was handled by International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond, 62, the leak was discovered and reported to maintenance, the report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated. 

That plane was soon deemed 'not airworthy' and another aircraft, Boeing MD-11F, N259UP, was assigned for the nine-hour, 11-minute trip, documents detailed. 

During that aircraft's preflight procedure, 'the mechanic reported that the pushback and engine start were accomplished using the standard UPS departure procedure,' per the report. 

But just moments after receiving clearance for takeoff, the cargo jet's engine detached from the plane as it glided along the runway. 

Chilling new footage, released by the NTSB on Tuesday, captured the moment the engine detached from the plane as the aircraft lifted off the ground and into the air. 

Along with the engine, the plane's pylon - a bridge structure that attaches the engine to the wing of the plane - flung off and hit the ground below. 

Plumes of smoke and a massive fireball came afterward, with the Hawaii-bound jet killing 12 people on the ground and three crew members on board. 

The victims who died on the ground were identified as Carlos Fernandez, 52; Angela Anderson, 45; Trinadette 'Trina' Chavez, 37; John Loucks, 52; John Spray, 45; Matthew Sweets, 37; Ella Petty Whorton, 31; Megan Washburn, 35; Tony Crain, 65; Louisnes Fedon, 47; and his 3-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa.

Alain Rodriguez Colina, 50, died nearly seven weeks after the crash after suffering severe burns.  

Diamond, Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57, and First Officer Lee Truitt, 45, were identified by UPS as the crew members who died that day. 

A total of 23 people were injured in the crash, which saw the 34-year-old plane get scarily close to the ground before exploding. 

It remains unclear how the engine separated from the plane, as the NTSB kicked off a what's expected to be a 10-hour hearing on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. to investigate the case further. 

Another five-hour hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.  

During the hearing, the NTSB will question UPS representatives, the pilot's union, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Boeing. 

Jennifer Homendy, the Chairman of the NTSB, directly addressed the victim's family members who gathered together ahead of the hearing. 

'This accident, just like others, undoubtedly caused invisible injuries that aren’t reflected in the numbers we provide,' Homendy said. 

'Psychological and emotional trauma from being physically injured, witnessing an accident, or losing a loved one can have a profound impact on lives and livelihoods.'  

Soon after the crash, the NTSB released a preliminary report and terrifying images of the tragedy. 

The images showed the UPS Flight 2976 taking off from the airport as a giant fire broke out, and one of the plane's three engines detached.

The report outlined how the engine detached from the pylon as the plane roared down the runway and took off. 

According to the NTSB investigation, a fire started on the left engine while it moved 'above the fuselage and subsequently impacted the ground,' the report said. 

Despite the inferno consuming the left side of the cargo plane, the aircraft cleared the airport's fence but never made it more than 30ft above the ground, the report stated.

It crashed in an enormous fireball seconds later.

Included in the report were statements from two witnesses in the Air Traffic Control tower who told NTSB the speed of the MD-11 appeared normal.

The witnesses did say the airplane did fly into the sky normally 'before rolling slightly to the left', per the report.

Following the fatal crash, federal investigators discovered the plane's left pylon air mount, which helps keep the engine in place, has 'fatigue cracks in addition to areas of overstress failure', according to the report.

Colina, the final victim who died because of the crash, took his final breath on Christmas Day. 

The scrapyard worker was on the job at Grade A Recycling when the fully loaded jet plowed into the business and erupted into flames. 

Grade A Recycling CEO Sean Garber told local ABC affiliate WCVB that Colina escaped the crash with burns covering over half of his body.

Doctors had given his family a bleak prognosis. Colina was put in an induced coma and never regained consciousness.

He was visited often by family members, Garber added. Colina's mother and siblings lived in the area, and his daughter lived in Cuba.

A series of lawsuits were filed following the fatal crash, with Morgan & Morgan announcing the first one brought on by two plaintiffs against UPS, Boeing, and General Electric. 

Many of the victims' loved ones, including the wife of Captain Dana Diamond, also took legal action, citing negligence against the companies.